Not all of us are born with perfect vocabulary skills, great writing or literary techniques, or with the brain that can sort ideas in a flash and write them on paper. If you are like most people, you need to get ideas or writing samples before you can begin to write. It’s just like trying to find your inspiration or getting yourself in the zone.
Writing a personal statement is no different. You may think it’s simple or easy since you’re just writing about someone you’re most familiar with – yourself – but this can prove to be a daunting task because obviously there’s so much you can write.
Organizing your thoughts on paper is one thing, knowing what to write and how to write it is another.
The importance of reading examples of personal statements, especially the well written ones, cannot be emphasized enough. It will save you time in writing and also give you the best ideas on how to write an excellent if not a perfect personal statement.
Below are the reasons why you should read examples of personal statements before writing your own
1. You will know how to start writing. For most people, starting is the difficult part. Getting on paper the first ideas that come into your head is crucial because it will set the mood for the whole paper. You will be able to use the sample personal statement as your template.
2. You will know what skills, interests, or abilities you need to highlight for a particular degree or field of study. This is very important since you can’t just write everything down about yourself without regard for what actually matters to the reader. You have to be able to sort through your qualifications that will best represent yourself and set you apart from the other applicants. Not everything good about yourself is necessary to get you into the program or the school you’re applying for. It is best to know your strengths that you need to present and weaknesses that you need to downplay. You will get an idea from similar personal statements you can get from the internet.
3. The sample will help you organize your thoughts. You are most likely riddled with so many ideas and thoughts that you won’t know which ones to write first. The example of personal statement can serve as your guide on how to chronologically arrange your ideas into one coherent paper.
4. You will avoid grammar mistakes and learn some writing techniques in the process. No matter how great the content of your personal statement may be, if you’re using the wrong words or punctuations or verb tenses, your application will be disregarded and your intellect may even be questioned. Having a good example of personal statement can help you avoid the most common grammatical errors that plague most essays.
5. Two heads are better than one. Someone has already taken the trouble of giving you an idea of what to write and how to write. It would be irrational for you if you choose not to take help being offered.
